


TATTERED & TORN | a jorey ff

by j0eYj0rdis0n



Category: Slipknot (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety Attacks, Bullying, Corey Taylor - Freeform, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Joey Jordison - Freeform, M/M, Panic Attacks, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 13,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j0eYj0rdis0n/pseuds/j0eYj0rdis0n
Summary: High school is rough, but it gets worse when you’re the only gay kid in school and the famous popular kid at school, Corey Taylor just loves to pick on you. That’s the life of Joey Jordison, just trying to survive high school but it seems impossible with the way things are going. He just gets delt all the wrong cards, but sometimes the draw pile can bring good things. Maybe Corey just may be the card he needs.
Relationships: Joey Jordison/Corey Taylor
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THIS BOOK INCLUDES SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER SUCH AS:  
> assault, strong language, violence, anxiety, and depression.  
> If these subjects are not appropriate for you, I suggest finding another story.
> 
> CAST:  
> Joey Jordison  
> Corey Taylor
> 
> Mick Thomson  
> Sid Wilson
> 
> "TATTERED AND TORN, OPEN MY WRISTS!"

**Jordison.**

The sweet sound of silence filled my house. Dad's finally gone, leaving me with the night to do whatever I want. And trust me, I know exactly what I want to do tonight. I want it to be just me, myself, and my drum kit.

I rush down to the basement where my beloved drum kit stays, I take a seat and just as I'm about to hit the snare, there's a pounding on the front door. Goddammit. I huff as I walk back up the rickety wooden stairs, not in any hurry to get to the door. Whoever this may be is interrupting my perfect night!

"Joey! I swear to god if you don't open this door right now!" I hear a familiar voice from the other side of the door, followed with several more hard knocks. I can’t help but roll my eyes as I pull the door open before he can knock again.

"What do you want." I glare at Sid, my arms crossed firmly across my chest.

"To hang out, duh." He rolls his eyes and walks inside like he owns the place. Typical Sid. I sigh and close the door softly, following him to the living room where he takes a seat on the dark leather couch.

"Comfortable?" I ask in a snarky tone as I stand in the doorway.

"Very." He smirks, kicking his shoe clad feet on the dark wooden coffee table. My dad would have a fit if he saw anyone doing this, especially Sid.

I make my way over and sit on the couch, we poke fun at each other and catch up over music. I've known Sid practically my whole life. Which of course made us best friends. He checks up on me often, which I really don't need him to do. I'm not five years old. But given my past I understand why he does. When I was little my mom took her own life, I never really understood why until I found her note. Dad had tried so hard to keep that thing hidden but being the sneaky little kid I was, I found it and I'll never forget it. But what really mattered about it was the reason why she took her life. It was all my dad's fault. He abused her relentlessly for years and she just couldn't get away.   
I remember the last line of the note said:  
 _"Nathan, sweetheart. I'm so sorry I did this to you... But understand why and make me proud sweetheart. - Love Mom"._

That note absolutely crushed me. Leaving me to fear my dad everyday. Since I’m the only one left in the house, he just loves to take his anger out on me.   
Sid knew about what happened to my mom, hell the whole town did! No one knew about my dad's 'tendencies'. But it didn’t take him all that long to figure it out. So now he shows up at my house and finds me at school to make sure I don't have panic attacks or sudden episodes. Which I claim are because of my mom but they really center around my dad. Even though it can be quite annoying, I appreciate what he does for me.

Soon I hear heavy footsteps on hardwood walking towards us. I turn around quickly hoping it's not my dad. I sigh in relief as Mick walks in, sitting himself on the opposite end of the couch.

"Took you long enough." Sid looks at Mick and smirks, silently telling him that he's joking.

"Yeah whatever." Mick looks from Sid to me, pushing his sunglasses up his nose. "Well let's get right into it. The guys in our band are looking for a drummer and since Sid and I think you're good... We suggested that you come play with us.” He pauses, “so practice is tomorrow after school. Don't be late or you won't be able to play with us."

I just sit in shock. Me? Come play with them? I've heard that they're really good. And knowing how good of a guitarist Mick is and how awesome Sid is at turntables, only supports what I've heard. I don't really know who else is in the group, they keep it super secret which only makes me want to go more. I try to hide the excitement on my face as I nod. 

"Sounds good. Can't wait for tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Jordison.**

School is shit. If you don't agree, something's obviously wrong with you. But sometimes school can be good, I enjoy learning in general, It’s just the people at school that make it hell. I especially like the times I see Corey in class, in the halls or at lunch. He's really cute and supposedly can sing too. But the thing is. He's straight. And I'm certainly not. 

We're polar opposites, he's popular, cute, can sing, and could date anyone he wanted. I'm not any of those things. I'm just a loser in the background. People only know me because I play the drums and I'm the only gay kid at school.

I get out of my car and walk to my locker which isn't all that far from Corey's. I get my stuff and walk past him quickly, hoping to get past him without any trouble today. But to my luck he puts his foot out and trips me, knocking the stuff out of my hands and the breath out of my chest as I hit the floor. One of the many girls surrounding him kicks my binder across the hall.

"Come on fag. Get up and get your shit." I can almost hear the smirk in Corey's voice.

I feel a rush of embarrassment, a panic attack will quickly form and I know it. I start shaking and breathing heavy, trying to hold back tears so I don't seem like a wimp. I already hear giggles coming from the girls as they see the slight shake in my body. Sid comes rushing over and helps me up while Mick grabs my stuff, towering above everyone as he walks to us. He intimidates everyone because he's just so damn tall. All of the girls immediately shut up just by the sight of him. Sid flips Corey off as he ushers me away, Mick following close behind. Sid drags me to the bathroom and we sit in the stall together, him trying desperately to calm me down as Mick waits outside on guard.

"It's ok..." He hugs me and rubs soothing circles into my shoulders. "Take deep breaths ok?" I do as he instructs, leaning into him as I breath deep. I quickly realize how close I am to him and stand up out of his embrace. He follows suit and stares at me, trying to analyze if I'm ok.

"Thanks Sid..." I sigh, still quite embarrassed. "I'm such a fool..."

"No you're not! Corey's just a dick, you know that." He replies trying his best to cheer me up. "How about after band practice we go get ice cream? Will that make you happy?"

I look at my feet and nod. I can feel his smile as he looks at me. "Great! Then I'll drive you to practice after school. See you then?"

I nod again before thanking him and walking out, grabbing my stuff from Mick and making a mad dash for class. 

School goes by painfully slow, by the time it's over I'm almost asleep in my chair. I wake myself up and walk to my locker to get my stuff, passing Corey as I go. My face turns red from embarrassment as I get my stuff and rush out the front doors and to my black car. I have little time before it's time for band practice. I rush to get myself together, packing on some more black eyeshadow and changing my clothes to something a little less normal. I wait outside, twirling my drumsticks between my fingers waiting for Sid to pick me up. I tap lightly on the concrete with my sticks in boredom. God he can never be on time can he? 

Almost as if on cue his loud ass car pulls into my driveway. He really needs to tune up his car. He looks me up and down as I get into the car. 

"What?" I ask

"Nothing, you just look a little more dressed up than usual..." He looks me up and down again.

"I am not. And even if I was, I want to make a good impression." I try to defend myself, crossing my arms.

"A good impression is playing well." Sid replies quickly. I roll my eyes as he pulls out of the driveway and begins driving to who knows where. At least we both agree he has good music taste, it makes the ride a lot more comfortable.

We pull into the driveway of an old run down house in a run down neighborhood that actually wasn't quite far from my own house. Quite honestly, all of Des Moines is rundown and dirty so this wasn’t totally out of place. There’s three other cars in the driveway and four on the street. Obviously everyone else must be here...  
I stare at the house in disbelief. I thought that the band would have a nice big house to practice in or have enough money to rent out a nice place. But then again this probably belongs to one of the guys anyway.

"You comin' or not?" Sid asks, already outside of the car.

I nod and get out, following inside the house. He smiles at each of the guys, doing some sort of a handshake with each as he moves further in the room, cracking jokes the whole way. I just stand at the door, not knowing what to do or where to go. I survey the room, guys lounge about on the couch, two playing video games, another is smoking and the last is drinking. The house smells like cigarettes and mold. Jesus Christ this place is messy as hell. And I thought my house was dirty… I get snapped out of my thoughts as Mick taps my shoulder.

"You actually gonna come inside or are you just gonna stand there?" He smirks a little and leads me into the room.

"Hey guys! This is Joey!" Sid yells as he pushes me forward. 

There's a chorus of response, but I hear close to nothing as I meet eyes with Corey…


	3. Chapter 3

**Jordison.**

I feel my blood run cold. Why does he have to be here?! It could've been anyone else and I would've been totally chill but no! It had to be this guy!

"Time to start practice." Another one of the guys looks at me and holds out a hand. "Name's Shawn, but you can call me Clown, nice to meet you Joey." I shake his hand as he goes to his spot.

Before I can even get to the drum set at the back of the room Corey gets really close in my face and harshly says, "quit fuckin' staring." He proceeds to knock his shoulder against mine, almost sending me to the floor again as he walks to the microphone in the middle of the room. I rub my shoulder and walk back to the drum set and start warming up, trying to push Corey's little stunt out of my mind. I'm not going to let that fuck up my shot tonight.

Clown runs back and teaches me a few beats to use for the songs and tells me to just improvise the rest. I nod and play what he taught me, waiting for practice to officially start.

Quickly everyone gets into their positions in the room and Clown points at me to start. I set a tempo that I can only pray is the right one and everyone starts playing with a start. Once Corey starts screaming I almost lose the beat. His voice is killer, even if I can barely hear it over the sound over the rest of the band and my drums. It's actually quite impressive that he hasn't yelled at me like that yet...

The song ends almost as fast as it started and we play another, then another, then another. Ending with a song called Spit It Out. I almost had to do a double take as I hear Corey start rapping. First singing now rapping? What else can't he do?

When the practice ends, a very sweaty Sid turns around and gives me a big smile and a thumbs up. I smile back and stand up, my legs feel like jello as I stand, almost making me fall back down into the seat, but I quickly gain my balance with the help of the wall behind me. I haven't gone that hard in a long time. I guess I really felt the pressure to impress them. I'll need to take an ice bath when I get home, my arms are already starting to ache. I roll my shoulders in an attempt to loosen everything up. I catch Corey looking back at me, looking me up and down. I can only scoff before walking over to Sid.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

"Nah man! Let's stay a little longer!" He smiles and walks off to join the rest of the band in the kitchen.

I sigh and sit on the steps outside, not quite in the mood for people. I am in the mood for ice cream though. The sun is just starting to set and the Iowa humidity is getting replaced with a pleasant night breeze. This would've been a great night if I was at my house, alone. I stare at the sky and space off. I jump as I hear the door shut and someone's footsteps behind me. I look over at the person who takes a seat next to me. Corey.

"What do you want..." I mutter and start picking at my hands in my lap, looking down at them as I do so.

"Probably the same thing as you, to get away from all of them." He takes a sip of his beer and lights a cigarette. I move away from him. "What? Don't like cigarettes?" He chuckles a little as I nod and puts it out with his foot after another puff. "You're a better drummer than I thought shorty."

"Thanks, I practice." I mumble.

There standing in the doorway is a wasted Sid. "Corey! Come on man! Join us!" He grabs Corey by the arm and drags him inside, leaving me on the steps alone again. I let out another deep sigh.

The sky is turning dark rather quickly, I hear yelling inside the hectic kind, not the fun kind, leading me to walk inside and see what all the noise is about. Inside I see Clown with his pant leg on fire with him desperately trying to put it out. Sid laughs as he waves the sick on fire closer to Clown who's currently panicking. A now slightly drunk Corey is slumped on the couch watching the scene with dull eyes. He must see me looking around because he stumbles over to me, the dullness in his eyes fading in an instant.

He pulls me around the corner out of sight from everyone, grabs my hands and pins them above my head. "Those jeans look really good on you. I bet they'd look even better off you." He smirks and leans in to kiss me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Jordison.**

I scream as he tries to kiss me. I should be welcoming his lips onto mine, I've had the fattest crush on this guy for years, but instead I scream. Mick comes running around the corner to see me shaking on the floor and Corey standing to the side.

"What the fuck did you do Corey!" Mick grabs him by the collar of his shirt. Sid then runs around the corner and instantly sobers up as he hugs me and runs through the checklist of how to calm me down.

_1\. Hug them tight_

_2\. Rub their hands or shoulders (if they say it's ok)_

_3\. Say comforting words such as: "I'm here for you." "It's gonna be ok."_

_4\. Tell them to take deep breaths_

_5\. Stay with them and wait for them to slowly calm down_

It takes me a while to calm down but I do and nod to Sid, wordlessly telling him that I'm ok.

"All I did was go to pat him on the shoulder but the fucking faggot screamed like a little girl!" Corey yells as he kicks me in the side. I saw something flip in Mick's eyes and he threw a punch at Corey, nailing him right in the face.

"He's not a goddamn fag!" He yells as he nails Corey again, stepping back with his hands up as everyone else comes running around the corner and grabbing and pulling Mick back. "You should think before you call people faggots Corey." He grumbles as he shakes out of everyone's grip and gently grabs my hand, dragging me and Sid out the front door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Taylor.**

I just stand there as I watch Joey leave. I see a look of disappointment on Jim's face. I totally forgot Jim was gay...

Jim shakes his head and goes back to the kitchen. Shawn walks up to me and pats me on the shoulder. "I think it'd be a good idea if you went home and got some rest. Joey'll be back here tomorrow for practice so see if you can make up with him ok?"

_Great. He's kicking me out._

I nod in response and walk out to my car.

_I'm not gay. I'm not gay. I'm not gay._

I drive to my friend Alicia's house, well I guess friend isn't really the right word for it... More like a friend with benefits. I knock on the door and she swiftly opens it with a smirk, pulling me inside and up into her room, the rest of the night ended up a blur of drinks and other things I don't care to remember tomorrow.

I wake up to the sun through the curtains, checking my watch and cursing myself for sleeping with her again. I sneakily get out of her bed, throwing my clothes on and walking out to my car. I try to make it to school by 7:35 so I could watch Joey walk to his locker at 7:40 as usual. But he didn't show up.

Did I scare him that much last night? Or is he just not here today?

I get yanked away from my thoughts as Alicia grabs my hand and drags me to her locker so she can get her stuff. "Why do you always leave so early? I wish you'd stay with me for once." She huffs and crosses her arms.

"You know the deal." I say heartlessly and walk to class. We've already made our agreements and I refuse to let it become anything more.

After a while of sitting in my seat the bell rings. Joey doesn't run in until three minutes after class starts. "I-I'm sorry I'm late!" He hands the teacher a hall pass. "I was in the band room... I'm really sorry!" The teacher just nods and tells him to take a seat. He was about to sit right in the front row before I motioned for him to sit by me. I'm surprised that he actually listens to me as he walks to the back of the classroom and sits to my right.

"Sorry about last night... I don't like guys." The words fall out of my mouth like second nature. I see some sort of hurt on his face.

_Does he like me...?_

"I didn't mean it like that..." I try to fix what I said but he just shakes his head and goes back to his work.

Fuck.

After a few minutes I speak up. "Hey... Joey... I really didn't mean it that way... Can we at least be friends..?" I tread carefully as I say those words, desperately trying not to offend or hurt him. I wouldn't lie and say I don't at least admire his style. There are some pretty cool things about him even if he is gay.

I see his face light up. "I'd like that..." A small smile breaks across his face as he says that. I can't help but smile back.

| | |

It's been two months since Joey and I became friends, we speak pretty regularly at practice and sometimes after, texting between us is pretty sporadic, but I can't allow my reputation to slip at school so the bullying continues as much as I dislike doing it.

Band practice goes on as normal but I can't get Joey off my mind, I don't know why I'm in this funk. I even tripped up on the lyrics in a few of the songs when I looked back at him. Goddamn does he look good when he's drumming. I don't know what it is when he's on the drums that makes him so... Attractive...

Maybe it's how much passion he puts into it, or how set he is on impressing everyone, which hasn't gone unnoticed by anyone in the group.

I keep telling myself that I'm not gay, I don't like guys, and that we're just friends. But I really can't help but stare as practice finishes and he gets up and takes a drink of his water. Someone taking a drink isn't really all that attractive, but him doing it is just... Different.

He catches me looking and starts walking over to me but he doesn't make it before Shawn does, dragging me a little further away from everyone.

"You good man? You were really struggling today..." Shawn tries to keep his voice down.

"Yeah man, I'm fine!" I play it off with a fake smile.

"Okay... Just make sure you bring your best tomorrow." He pats me on the shoulder before walking away. What a fucking stickler.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. If Joey would quit distracting me maybe I could actually get the words right! I shake my head and walk outside, carrying my notebook of lyrics and a bottle of beer with me. I open the book and start writing, lyrics have just been coming to me like no one's business lately. It's usually an emotional thing, but I'm not feeling all that emotional... Weird.

**. . .**

_"Across the sea to you,_

_I've left myself deserted here again,_

_Across the sea to you,_

_My pieces are too broken now to mend_

_In the middle under a cold, black sky,_

_The sun will only burn for you and I,_

_In the moment before I lose my mind,_

_These hours don't mean anything this time._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..."_

**. . .**

I title it "Taciturn". Then my mind jumps and starts writing a whole new song, I quickly title it "Pieces" before I forget the lyrics that popped into my head a moment earlier.

**. . .**

_"Open up the sun and burn my eyes_

_Open up your arms and save my life!_

_I know I'll never go home again,_

_I need a little more, I will take what I can get_

_I promise you everything, everything..._

_Just don't forget me in the end..."_

**. . .**

I close my eyes and get so lost in singing a quiet melody to the lyrics that I don't notice Joey sit next to me. I finish softly and I open my eyes, jumping when I see Joey sitting next to me. I don't move, just take in the sight of him. His long black hair falls over his shoulders perfectly, red streaks in the front, and his sky blue eyes reflect the moon. I never realized how good he looked until now...

_Jesus Corey! You're not gay!_ I immediately move a little further away from him.

"Y-You're really good... At singing I mean..." Joey mumbles and starts picking at his hands once again.

I look down to his hands, they're raw and torn from all of the picking, it looks like it really hurts... It must be a nervous habit.

I take a drink of my beer and grab his hands. "You shouldn't pick at your hands, it'll hurt really bad later."

I see a pink blush form on his face. I try my hardest not to smile. But it's satisfying knowing that I have this effect on him.

_He's kinda cute..._

"Don't get nervous round' me." I say reassuringly, squeezing his hands a little tighter in reassurance. I see that same nervousness in his eyes. He's trying to decide if he should do something. Moments later he moves closer to me and rests his head on my shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

**Taylor.**

I run one of my hands through his hair and I hold one of his hands in mine. I internally melt, his hands are so small... I smile when I notice that he painted all of his nails black besides his middle fingers which are painted a vibrant red, matching his hair. I continue to run my hand through his long hair. "So Joey... Why do you get so upset like that sometimes?" I ask quietly.

I feel him tense up but he replies "I-I don't know... I have panic attacks sometimes." He looks so embarrassed as he looks at his feet.

"Hey it's ok... Don't be embarrassed." I make a quick decision and kiss him on his cheek. He doesn't scream this time, but he moves closer to me. I smile and wrap my arm around his shoulders. My mind throws negative thoughts out like routine, I quickly push them out.

Once again the moment is ruined as Sid walks outside with Mick. They both stand there in shock when they see me with my arm around Joey, his head on my shoulder. Joey immediately stands up and grabs Sid's hand, I can see nervousness in his eyes. Both Sid and Mick give me the most deadly stares I've seen from them in my whole life.

"You ready Joe?" Sid asks with extremely prominent fake happiness.

Joey nods happily not realizing that Sid's faking the happy facade as he quickly ushers him to his car.

As soon as they're out of sight Mick pulls me up by my shirt. "I swear to fucking god Corey Taylor. If you play with his feelings I'll fucking strangle you with the strings of the guitar I play. And let me tell you shithead. It'll hurt like hell."

I roll my eyes trying to hide the fact that I might somehow, someway, like him. "I'm not a fag like him."

"It looked like you liked him a damn lot just there." Mick grumbles. "If you like him for real, then you can touch him. But if you're just messing around, then stay the fuck away from. He doesn't need his feelings hurt again." Sid then blasts the horn of the car signaling Mick to get his ass in, which he quickly does.

I stand there and think.

_Do I really like Joey..?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Jordison.**

The next day at school is relatively normal, besides Sid being "sick" aka him skipping classes just because he felt like it. And I'm only here cause I know mom would've wanted me to go.

Lunch rolls around and three jocks drag me to an empty classroom and start harassing me. They calling me nasty things like a failure and a fag. I should just be used to the name calling, It's nothing new. People hate me and so they try to tear me down, it works I must admit.

I try hard to suppress the panic attack I feel coming, the feeling of helplessness washes over me, as I start shaking. Maybe I am a failure... I sure am a fag so why don't I just add being a failure to the list of things that describe me? I can't even stop my own fucking panic attacks! That rings of failure.

"Awww is little Joey gonna cry?~" One of the boys taunts as he moves closer to me, being 4'10 certainly doesn't help with name calling. I back up nervously until I hit the desk behind me, I mentally curse at myself for getting myself stuck here. He runs his hands through my hair. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a girl." He pulls on my hair, I cry out in pain.

"Please stop... Whatever I did... I'm sorry!" I plead, looking up at him with watery eyes.

The taller one pushes the one pulling my hair out of the way and starts touching up my legs. I scream. Loud. Louder than I've ever screamed before. He covers my mouth and starts moving his hand up, moving closer to my crotch. Please god let someone hear my cry...

"You like that fag?" he sneers.

I start to cry as he touches me more.

_I shouldn't have worn these skinny jeans today..._

The door flings open to reveal Corey. Just the guy I need. He'll probably just join in.

The boys immediately stop their actions and look at him. I try to push the boy's hands off me but they won't budge.

"Get the fuck out." Corey grumbles.

"What did you say Taylor?" The taller one smirks, finally taking his hands off of me and walking to Corey.

"I said. Get. The. Fuck. Out." He emphasizes every word as he gets up in his face.

The taller boy chuckles and puts his hands back on me earning another scream from me and a nice punch to the face, courtesy of Corey. It looked like it hurt bad. I cry harder, shaking uncontrollably. I feel like a complete wimp, a failure. Especially in front of a guy like Corey...


	8. Chapter 8

**Taylor.**

I heard a very familiar scream as I was walking towards the cafeteria. I knew Joey was the #1 target for bullying at school, but he's mine. No one can fuck with him besides me. I'm his bully.

I follow the sound of commotion to the math classroom. Finding Joey pressed against the teachers desk with hands all over him. I feel enraged, the most anger I'd ever felt.

"Get the fuck out." I spit out at them. They know I'm a force to be reckoned with and when they need to back up. Hopefully they'll get the message so I won't have to have some bloody knuckles.

They don't of course. Knuckles be damned I guess. I swing and hit, the rest of the fight becoming a blur. Once they all scurry out I slowly make my way over to Joey.

"Joey...?" I say quietly as I walk closer to him. He's crouched in a ball on the floor, hugging his knees and hysterically crying while rocking back and forth. I feel a pang of sharp hurt in my chest when I see him like that. He's in pain and It's painfully obvious. So I do as I've seen Sid do many times before, I pull him close to my chest and rub soft circles into his shoulders. I try to soothe him as best as I can, having little to no experience with this kind of thing I just hope it works.

"Shhh..." I rest my head on top of his. "Everything's gonna be ok sweetheart."

He hugs me tighter and cries harder. "It's ok, I'm here..." I wipe the tears from his eyes and go back to rubbing circles into his shoulders.

"No one's gonna hurt you. I promise."

He slowly calms down as I hold him closer to me. I soon pull away and look deeply in his soft blue eyes. "Are you ok?" I ask in a whisper. He nods and buries his head in my chest. "You want to go home?" He nods again in response. I scoop him up in my arms and quickly carry him out to my car, hoping that no one has seen my crack in character before driving him to my house.

Joey stares out the window the whole car ride, tears in his eyes and cheeks stained. He's almost frozen in place the whole time. We get to my house and I park the car, walking around to the other side, picking Joey up once again and walking him inside, straight up to my room. My safe space is a place I'd gladly share with him. I lay him gently on the bed and lie next to him. He hugs me as soon as I lay down.

"Thank you for saving me..." He whispers into my chest.

I feel a sense of pride. "No problem sweetheart."

We don't speak for a long time after that. He just stays curled into my side, I almost thought he was sleeping until he speaks up. "Corey...?"

"Hm?" I look down at him, our blue eyes meeting.

"I-I like you... A lot..." He says, clearly embarrassed.

Throwing all my previous thoughts out I reply. "I don't like you Joey. I love you." I kiss him deeply. I hear him groan as he kisses back, straddling me. I pull away to catch my breath and push a strand of his pretty long hair behind his ear. He blushes sweetly.

I kiss his neck gently and move up to his jaw. I hear a shaky breath slip out of his mouth as I leave a mark on him. I pull away and take off his shirt. I look at him in shock. His skinny frame is almost all black and blue from bruises. I see tears building up in his eyes before he covers his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"Joe it's ok... You're still so beautiful to me." I gently grab his torn hands away from his face and kiss him, he's so small I'm worried I may break him.

"Corey I'm ugly..." He cries.

"Sweetheart, you're the most beautiful person i've ever seen." I wipe his tears and pepper his face with kisses. To that he laughs a little and hugs me.

Fuck do I love it when he laughs! And his cute smile melts me every time.

"Corey...?" He asks quietly.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"You're not using me... Right..?"

"Fuck no! I couldn't bring myself to do that even if I wanted to." I cup his face in my hands and kiss his lips. A few moments pass and I hesitantly ask "Joe, how did you get those bruises?"

He tenses in my arms but when I sit up, pressing my back against the headboard and pull him to my chest he slowly relaxes. "It's my dad..." He starts picking at his hands again. "He doesn't like me at all. He thinks that I'm the reason mom's..." He chokes up and starts crying. It truly breaks my heart to see him cry or to see him hurting. I kiss him gently and tell him that It's ok.

"He thinks that I'm the reason mom killed herself, when it was all his fault but he doesn't believe that so he beats me. And he doesn't like it that I'm gay..." I almost feel my heart crack in two for Joey.

Jesus Christ he's had a hard life... I make a quick decision and speak softly. "Joey. You're staying with me. You're not going back to that house."

He shakes his head "I do everything for my dad... I clean the house, make food, laundry, stuff like that... So I have to be home. And my drums are there anyway."

"Fuck him Joey. We'll get some of your stuff and you'll stay here with me. I'll buy you a whole new drum set."

I see him thinking it over. It takes him a moment before he nods with a small cute smile. "Yeah... The drum set at my house is pretty shit."

That makes me laugh. I ruffle his hair and kiss him. "Attaboy" I smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**Taylor.**

It takes a few days to get Joey finally settled into my house. He sleeps in the guest bedroom which will soon be called his room. My grandma was so happy to know that I actually had a relationship with someone. Joey told her his story and they talked for hours. I'm not even exaggerating. Hours.

They really get along great, sometimes I feel like my grandma loves him more than me. I laugh at the thought. Grandma also agreed to let Joey have his drums in the basement as long as he didn't play late at night or early in the morning. Which he immediately agreed to.

Nighttime soon approaches and a storm breaks out. And I mean an Iowa storm that follows the most humid days of the year, and those fuckers are bad. The rain was pounding the house, the thunder was roaring and you could hear the cracks of lightning in the sky. I personally love these kinds of storms, It's quite calming. So I lay back in bed with my arms behind my head, in the dark and shirtless, the overhead fan whirring and the windows cracked open, just taking in the sounds of the storm.

I soon hear my door creak open and a small body jump in bed with me. I feel Joey shaking bad. So I sit up and pull him into my lap, hugging him tight. He must be afraid of storms...

"I'm here sweetheart. Nothing will hurt you..." I whisper softly as I push a strand of his hair behind his ear. I can tell he's trying hard not to cry. "Baby you can let it out... I'm not gonna judge you." I kiss his soft lips gently. After I say those words I see tears dripping down his face onto his hands which he's picking at once again.

I wipe his eyes carefully "It's ok baby..." I look into his eyes. "You're safe with me." He sniffs and slowly stops crying, resting his head on my shoulder. His eyes are slowly starting to close so I put him on the bed and place a blanket over him. I start to get up before he reaches out for me.

"Corey... Please don't go..." He whispers.

I lay back down, how could I ever say no to him? Once again he immediately hugs me from the side. I smile and close my eyes, taking in the sounds of the storm and the warmth of his body, the mixture of both is perfect, sending me into a blissful sleep.

| | |

The birds are chirping and the gentle rays of the sun are shining across my face. I feel legs wrapped around my waist and arms around my neck. I slowly open my eyes and see a sleeping Joey laying on top of me. This is exactly who I want to see every morning.

I push his pretty hair behind his ear and kiss him lightly. His eyes flutter open and a deep blush creeps onto his face. He tries to remove his legs but I hold them in place with a smirk. I roll onto my back and take him with me, with him ending up on my lap.

He leans down to kiss me, his pretty hair tickling my cheeks. I kiss back, biting his lower lip. He lets out a quiet moan and immediately sits up, quickly slapping a hand over his mouth.

"I-I..." He tries to find the words quickly.

"I liked that." I smirk and pull him back down into another passionate kiss. I feel him slowly grind his hips against me. Fuck.

I don't think he realizes what he's doing to me. I move my hands to his ass and squeeze. He lets out a small squeak as I do so. I kiss him one more and quickly stand up and place him on the edge of the bed, throwing my pants off. I take his off gently and to my surprise his legs are covered with faded bruises, similar to the ones that were once on his chest. I feel terrible for him. It must hurt for him to walk.

I see shame and embarrassment on his face. I kiss up each of his thighs. "Fuck Jo... You're beautiful." I breathe out. I see a small smile play on his face.

_I love it when he smiles..._

I slowly pull off his shirt and push him down on the bed. I finish it off by pulling down his boxers. I pin his hands above his head, he bites his lip with a small smile.

_Jesus Christ he really couldn't look any better right now-_

He sees me staring and tries to cover himself. "Sweetheart, you look so fucking good right now." I practically moan out. I see him blush a little as I say those words.

The rest of the morning seemed like pure heaven.


	10. Chapter 10

**Jordison.**

Corey's everything I could've asked for and more. The next day at school I really had to tell Sid all about yesterday morning. I kiss Corey quick and jump out of his new car, running into the building and to Sid's locker.

"What are you so happy about you little fucker?" Sid smirks when he sees the big smile plastered on my face.

"Corey and I had sex-" I try to keep my voice down as he interrupts me.

"YOU WHAT?!" Sid yells with a slight tinge of anger, making me jump.

"You heard me..." I mumble with a small smile.

"I can't believe you Nathan." He rolls his eyes. "But tell me how it was." He grabs my hands like a teenage girl, slamming his locker shut with his foot.

I tell him some details about yesterday and how awesome Corey is. He listens so intently like he'll miss something if he doesn't give me his full attention. I see some sort of skepticism on his face when I tell him that I really truly love Corey. Someone walks up behind me and wraps their arm around my waist. I jump but realize it's Corey.

"Sweetheart, why are you telling him all about last morning?" He asks.

"Cause... uh..." I try to think of a good reason besides the fact that I wanted to tell my best friend. 

"I think you better stop before he goes and tells everything to everyone in the band." He whispers into my ear and chuckles. I then realize that Sid is very much a loudmouth.

"I can't believe you two fucked!" He says rather loudly. Some heads turn and listen in. I feel my face go crimson with embarrassment. Corey sees the embarrassment on my face then gets up in Sid's face.

"Shut your fucking mouth you little bitch." He grabs Sid by his transformers T-shirt "If you ever say a word to anyone about our sex lives, I will kick your ass and you'll go cryin' to your mommy."

I barely hear the sentence cause he says it in such a low tone. When he finishes he walks over to me and holds out his hand for me. I shake my head.

"You should be nice to Sid..." I mumble. Knowing very well that this is all my fault for telling Sid in the first place. I feel fear rise inside of me, I don't know how he'll react and I'm scared of the potential reaction.

"Nah it's ok! He didn't do anything wrong!" Sid tries to cover for me, I can tell that he doesn't know how Corey will react either.

"Ok sweetheart, I'll do what you say." He kisses the top of my head and looks back at Sid with a glare. "Hey Sid, I'm sorry." He then grabs my hand and walks away. I look back and see Sid's face a flaming red with anger, Mick comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. I mouth a big "sorry" to Sid, hoping he'll forgive me.

| | |

By the end of the day the word that Corey Taylor is gay and that he's dating shorty Joey Jordison has reached almost everyone in the whole school. No one's bothered by the fact that Corey's dating, just the fact that It's me.

Now everyone stares as I make my way to Corey's car where he said he'll wait for me after school.

"HEY FAG!" The same tall boy yells at me. I try to ignore him but he just keeps yelling nasty comments. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" He commands. I take a deep breath and do as he says, walking to him as quickly as I can without running, in fear of causing a scene if I did.

"So you're dating Taylor? Lucky Lucky." He smirks. "But he won't stay with you for long, cause you're just a little whore and he's a player."

I try not to let my emotions show as I stand in front of him. But the same fear as earlier today rises in me, but it's worse, oh so much worse.

Is he just going to taunt me? Or is he going to kick my ass? I feel my hands start shaking. The shaking isn't too bad but it's definitely noticeable. The boy grabs my chin harshly.

"Oh so now you shake at his name? You really want him to fuck you bad. Don't you, slut?" He laughs and kicks me to the ground. I hear the sound of a car door slam.

"HEY ASSHOLE!" Corey shouts as he runs over.

But the boy doesn't stop, he pulls my hair, making me look at him. I'm trying so hard to keep my tears in, but he sees it.

"Come on pussy! Cry! I dare ya'!" The boy laughs harder than he did before.

I can't hold it anymore, I start to cry. The boy kicks me in the stomach where the black and blue bruises were healing, it knocks the wind out of me. I keep my face in the grass hoping that he can't see me cry.

I hear people shouting, then then the sounds of people hitting each other.

I cover my ears, rocking back and forth in a ball. This is what I did when my mom and dad would fight. My mind shows a vivid almost movie-like picture of my dad hitting my mom. She was hurt bad, crying and screaming. But he just kept going. When he finishes with her, he stomps over to me, my mom screams in protest. "Don't hurt him! Don't hurt my son!" She screams. I scream as he comes to get me.

Mick and Sid come bolting in, pulling Corey away. Sid points to me and says something I didn't hear over the sounds of my sobs. Corey comes running to me and tries to hug me but I scream, a high pitched, loud, scream. Sid pushes him away and hugs me, going through the calming checklist once again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Taylor.**

I don't know what came over me. I saw Joey getting beat by the kid from before and all I could see was red, a fiery red and this jackass. I couldn't stop myself, it was like I was possessed. I ran to the kid and about killed him until Mick jerked me away, roughly throwing me to the ground while Sid gave me a verbal beat down, almost as hard as the physical one I had just given the kid on the ground behind Mick.

"Goddamnit Corey! Look at Joey!" Sid points towards a shaking Joey. He's rocking back and forth with his arms wrapped around himself and sobbing. "He's already been traumatized by violence and what the fuck do you do? BEAT SOMEONE'S ASS!" Sid screams, not yells, screams. I flinch. This is where I finally understand that I don't know what had happened in Joe's life before me. I don't know what he's gone through. But what I did know? That I'd fucked up.

I try to repair the damage done by going to him and trying to hug him. But all he does is scream. I feel my heart crack. I didn't realize he got this scared... What the fuck have I done...

I try again but he shakes his head wildly and moves away like a kicked puppy. Sid quickly pushes me out of the way and runs to Joey, hugging him tightly. Sid does everything he can to calm Joey but it doesn't work, the poor boy is hysterical, screaming like he just got shot.

Sid looks at me with fire still burning in his eyes. "Can we take him to your house so this scene doesn't get any bigger?" He asks harshly, trying to hide the burning anger in his voice while still trying desperately to calm Joey.

I nod and pick Joey up, he screams and thrashes in my arms, screaming louder for his mom. I walk faster to get him to my car before anyone else starts staring. Sid races behind me, sitting in the back with Joey as I drive off.

| | |

It takes both Sid and I working together to get Joey out of the car and up the stairs. Sid held onto his wrists while I grabbed his feet as he screamed. He was shaking like an earthquake and I just felt my heart continue to break into little tiny pieces. Never had I felt a hurt like this in my life. It's almost like his pain had been transferred to me.

We place him gently on the bed and he curls up into a ball, holding his face in his hands as if someone was going to try and punch him. He mumbles about needing his mom, saying he can't do it anymore...

I look to Sid and he stands in the door biting his nails. I push him out and yell at him to go downstairs as I shut the door and walk over to the shaking ball that's Joey Jordison. I climb into bed next to him, running my hands through his hair softly. That didn't bode well with him...

It took almost an hour of him violently screaming and sobbing while I layed with him saying calming words to get him to fall asleep. This was by far the most painful experience of my life. Physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Yeah, he hit me. A lot. But he was scared and beyond upset so I let it slide. I truly felt terrible for him. Every time he would hit me or try to push me away I would hold his hands and pull him to me to keep him from doing it again. This made him shriek and cry more but soon his body was out of tears and too tired to shake. He quickly fell asleep once his body gave out on him. I slowly got up, pulled a blanket over him and walked downstairs exhausted and on the verge of tears. Sid and my grandma are quietly talking at the kitchen table.

"Sidney." I see him tense, "care to tell me what happened to Joe?" I ask with the anger I have left in me.

"Cor, I was gonna tell you-" I cut him off.

"Just spit it out Sidney." I say completely exhausted as I sit at the table with them.

"Joe has been abused by his dad ever since his mom died when he was eight, even a little while before his mom took her own life. As you can tell, he's not a big fan of violence. So when you almost killed that kid, Joey probably thought you were his dad or he had some sort of flashback." He says slowly so I can process it all.

I hold my head in my hands.

"Corey, it's not your fault. You didn't know his story. He never told you. Don't blame this on yourself." Sid puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Goddamn it Sidney!" Tears fall down my face. "It is my fault! I should've been more careful!" My voice rises with each word. I watch my tears fall onto the wooden table. I feel grandma's hand on my shoulder, silently telling me that everything's going to be okay.

"Cor..." Sid says quietly. "You'd have no way to know that his mom is dead. Or that his dad is abusive. Now you know how he can get."

I nod and take a drink from the cup of tea my grandma had pushed my way. We all sit in silence for a while more before I hear a scared voice from upstairs.

"C-Corey?" Joey's worried voice shakes.

I quickly run up the stairs, practically knocking over the kitchen chair I was sitting in. I wipe my tears as I go while trying desperately to hold the rest in. Joey's sitting up in my bed and he looks at me when I walk in the door. I sit next to him and hug him tightly. "I'm so sorry sweetheart..." I whisper.

He doesn't respond, only curls into my embrace.

"I had no clue your dad did that shit to you..." I feel tears sting my eyes once again.

He kisses me softly. "Don't cry... You don't want to be like me." He laughs a little. "You'd have no way to know about my life, I've never told anyone but Sid and Mick. No one knows anything about me but them." Tears fall out of my eyes after that. I really couldn't help it. He's so sweet to everyone and I'm such a goddamn asshole.

"I want you to be so happy Joe. I want you to live your life not afraid of anyone or anything." I try to keep my words from shaking. He brushes my face with soft kisses. I lay on my side, pulling him close.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you Corey..." He whispers softly in my ear.


	12. Chapter 12

**Jordison.**

After all the shit that's happened today we still have to go to fucking band practice. I don't want to get up at all. Corey's arms are around my waist and it makes me feel safe. This is the safest I've felt in a long time and I don't want this feeling to ever go away. He kisses my cheek lightly.

"Sweetheart we gotta get up..." He whispers into my ear sweetly.

"I don't want to go... Please..." I whisper, looking into his eyes desperately.

"Baby... We have to go... You know they can't have practice without us." He rubs my shoulder.

"That's fine! They can all have the night off!" I try so hard to convince him.

"Come on Joe. Lets go." Corey laughs a little and kisses me once more while slowly getting up. "Get what you need baby."

I sigh when his warmth is gone. I get up and grab my sticks, "lets go..." I mumble and begin walking out of his bedroom.

He grabs my wrist lightly and pulls me back in, pressing me against the wall. "Practice will be fun. I promise." He mumbles into my neck as he marks me. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and nod. He pulls away and looks me deeply in the eyes. I wonder what he's thinking right now...

"I love you so fucking much baby." He smiles so genuinely and pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly. We stand there for a while before he picks me up and walks down the stairs to his car proudly. I try to hide my smile by hiding my face in his chest.

| | |

We sit in the car, staring at Shawn's house. I let out a shaky breath and began getting out of the car. Corey grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze, silently telling me that everything's gonna be okay. I squeeze back and get out of the car. He follows me inside the house. The stench hits me like always. I almost gag at the mixed smell of cigarettes and alcohol. Everyone's talking but they quickly quiet when we walk in.

"What?" Corey asks, half annoyed by their stares.

"Are you to really..." Shawn says but trails off.

"Yes we're dating." Corey snaps back. I look at my feet, nervously picking at my hands. Corey brings my face up and I see everyone smiling. I thought they would be angry or call me a faggot or a queer. But they're smiling... Corey pulls me close and kisses me deeply. The guys laugh and cheer in response.

"We're happy for you two." Jim reassures me.

"Really..?" I stutter out. They nod in response.

"Just don't go fucking in front of us and we're good." Shawn says, everyone laughs, including me and Corey.

"Anyway, let's get this party started!!" Sid yells.

We roll our eyes and walk to our places. What a party this'll be.

| | |

Practice quickly finishes and before everyone goes off to get wasted, Shawn tells us that there's a school talent show coming up and that we're going to audition. I roll my eyes. Thanks for asking us dude. Really appreciate that one.

Everyone in the band seems pretty excited after that. I guess we would've done it even if I didn't want to.

Democracy.

Corey looks at me. "I'm gonna stay a little longer Joe... Jim'll give you a ride if you wanna go." I nod and begin to look for Jim, Corey pulls me back and kisses me. "I love you baby." He lets me go after that, I see him smiling as I walk away.

Jim is sitting in the kitchen with Mick, they're chatting about something I can't quite hear. I hear my name and seconds later I hear them say Corey's name. I shake it off and walk up to Jim.

"Jim? Can you take me home..?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah sure. You live with Corey right?" He smiles gently.

I nod in response as we walk to his car.

"You know there's a party later tonight that we're all going to if you want to come?" Jim tries to strike up a conversation. I just nod again, I hear him sigh lightly. After that the ride goes quickly. I thank him and wave goodbye, him returning the gesture before I quickly walk into the house. Corey's grandma greets me as she always does. She makes me feel so much more loved than my dad ever did.

"Want anything to eat?" She asks politely.

"No thank you." I smile and walk to my room. I begin rummaging through my closet for a good outfit for tonight. I end up choosing black ripped skinny jeans with a long chain and a tight red crop top. I add some more eyeliner and black lipstick then look at myself in the mirror. My outfit is pretty girly so I'm nervous to let anyone see me in it. But hopefully Corey likes it. That's all I care about is impressing him. I smile at the thought.


	13. Chapter 13

**Jordison.**

I get to the party and see Sid immediately. I laugh, of course he's in charge of the music. I make my way to him, squeezing through the dense crowd with ease.

"Hey Joe! You look really good!" He smiles at me and looks me up and down once again.

"Thanks!" I smile brightly. "Do you know where Corey is?" I ask hopefully.

"Ohhh~ So that's who you dressed up for!" He smirks. I roll my eyes but nod eagerly. "No, haven't seen him. Sorry man. Good luck finding him though!" He smiles and pats me on the shoulder as I thank him and walk away. I see Mick towering over everyone from across the room so I maneuver through the sweaty teen bodies to him.

"Nice outfit." He comments as I look up at him.

"Thanks." I reply quickly. "Do you know where Corey is?"

He shakes his head quickly. "Nope! Haven't seen him!" I can totally tell he's lying but I shrug it off and walk away. The music is blasting and it's jam packed. Damn. I didn't realize parties could be this crowded. This is definitely over the max capacity limit. I wander around for a while longer before I see him. Covered in girls. I stare for a second then quickly turn around. I stand there and process what I just saw... I can't help but let tears fall down my cheeks as I run out to my car.

"Joey!" I hear his voice call from behind me. I shake my head and get into my car turning on the engine and speeding down the street.


	14. Chapter 14

**Taylor.**

These sluts from school all came to me in a rush. Before I knew it I was covered, two on my lap and the rest squeezing in on the couch and on the floor around me. I won't say I didn't like it, they were pretty and the ones on my lap had nice asses, I won't lie. I let them sit and get as close as they wanted cause fuck, were they hot. But then I realized a very familiar short boy staring at me from across the room. Joey looked absolutely shocked. He turned around quickly and ran out. I felt instant regret fall on me. I push all the girls off of me and race after him. He's short but that fucker is fast. I race after him, down the block where his car is parked.

"Joey!" I call out for him once again. He just shakes his head and gets into his car. I can see the tears and eyeliner running down his face as he speeds away down the street. I just stand there in the middle of the dirty Iowa road. I hit my head harshly, "fuck!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Jordison.**

I run into Corey's house and up to my room. I throw off my shirt in disgust and scream in my pillow. I'm such a fool! I should've never gone to that fucking party! And I should've never worn that fucking shirt! I probably looked like a complete slut, and people were staring at me like I was a foreign creature. My tears come faster and I curl into a ball. My head rings with the sound of laughter, and certainly not the good kind...

_"Haha! What a fag!"_

_"He's gonna rot in hell cause he's gay!!"_

_"Look at his outfit!"_

_"Maybe he's secretly a girl!"_

_"No wonder his mom killed herself."_

_"I heard his dad beats him. It's what he deserves."_

_"He probably fucks every guy he can."_

Everyone's insults come back at me like a hurricane. I hold my head and shake violently, rocking back and forth in a last stitch effort to calm down.

_Please make it stop!!_

I hit my head repeatedly, trying desperately to get the sound out. What did I do to deserve this?! I reach for my phone with shaky hands. Call Sid, call Sid, call Sid- I press the call button and wait. He doesn't answer. I call Mick. He doesn't answer.

I need someone...

I need Corey-


	16. Chapter 16

**Taylor.**

I run to my car. He's not getting away from me. I start the engine and floor it back to my house.

I see Joey's car in the driveway. I cut the engine and race inside. I run up the stairs and knock on his door. A shrill scream is my response. I push open the door regardless and walk in. He screams again as I walk in. He's on his bed wrapped in blankets and shaking more than I've ever seen before. His face is filled with absolute terror as I walk in.

"Please... I-I'm so sorry... Please don't hurt me-" He begs.

After that desperate sentence I know what's going through his head. He's having some sort of flashback and he thinks I'm his dad coming to hurt him. I move more slowly towards him.

"Joe... It's Corey..." I say softly. He tenses at my name. I sit next to him on the bed and he quickly moves away, there's new realization in his eyes once he understands who I am. "Sweetheart... I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you." I hold out my arms. He looks at them then my eyes and shakes his head. I sigh. "Come on Joe..."

Once again, he shakes his head.

"I-I'm not good enough..." He stands up, his hands shaking feverishly.

"Sweetheart. You're more than enough." I stand up with him and wrap him in a hug. "I love you so much."

"T-Then why were there girls all o-over you." He looks at his feet on the verge of tears.

"They just came over.." I reply softly.

"But you didn't push them off until you saw me." He snaps back.

"That was my mistake. I shouldn't have let them sit at all." I try to calm him down.

All it does is make him more angry. "Yeah! It was your mistake! And now it's cost you!" He pulls away from the hug, I can see how much It's taking out of him to be courageous. Theres a mix of emotions in his eyes as he walks out of the room. I chase after him, standing at the top of the stairs.

"Joey! Come on! I'm sorry!" I try to get him back.

"Why don't you just go back to those girls." His voice breaks mid sentence. He looks back at me, already halfway down the stairs. There's tears in his eyes and the courageous facade is quickly crumbling.

That's when I really see how bad my actions have affected him. It breaks my heart. It's all my fault and I know it. I do nothing as I watch him walk out the front door with nothing but his pants on.

"You really fucked up Corey." My grandma says from the front window, watching Joey go..

"Yeah thanks for that." I say sarcastically.

"You better make it up to him." She impales me with her stare.

"Yeah... Well I have an idea."


	17. Chapter 17

**Taylor.**

I auditioned for the talent show, twice. Playing with the band was awkward as hell. Everyone could tell something was off between me and Joey. It really only pushed us towards a more aggressive sound.

I anxiously wait in the music hallway with the other people who auditioned to see who gets in. Five minutes after the final bell rings the list is posted. We rush up to it to take a good look. I smile as I see my name. Score.

Since our 'issue' Joey has gone to live with Sid. Sid's more than pissed that I hurt Joey and I'm actually quite surprised that he hasn't tried to kill me yet. Every time they walk by in the hallway Sid pulls him a little closer and glares at me. Sometimes Mick threatens me, which isn't anything new since Joey and I started dating. I'm just really hoping that this last effort will fix things.

| | |

The talent show is today and we finally get to perform. I wait though half the show before I go backstage for my turn. I exhale deeply and grab my guitar from Its case on the floor. I really hope this works...

The act before me walks off quickly, they're smiling and high fiving each other. The stage crew places a singular stool and mic on the stage then quickly ushers me on. I walk on with confidence as I take a seat. I take another deep breath as I see Joey in the front row with the rest of the band. His eyes show sadness as he looks up at me.

"This is for you Joe..." I say quietly into the mic as I smile softly and begin the song I came up with, Taciturn.

**. . .**

_"Across the sea to you,_

_I've left myself deserted here again,_

_Across the sea to you,_

_My pieces are too broken now to mend_

_In the middle under a cold, black sky,_

_The sun will only burn for you and I,_

_In the moment before I lose my mind,_

_These hours don't mean anything this time._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Across the world for you,_

_My reasons have no reason to remain,_

_I'd cross the world for you,_

_I don't know what I'm doing wrong,_

_But I can't stay the same,_

_In the middle under a clear, blue sky,_

_The sun can only burn for you and I,_

_In the moment before I lose my mind,_

_These hours don't mean anything this time_

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight...._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Give me a sign!_

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything..._

_Give me a sign..._

_Show me the line,_

_Maybe tonight..._

_I'll tell you everything,_

_everything..."_

**...**

I end the song and the crowd erupts in cheers and clapping. I don't pay any attention to it as I see my Joey in tears, hugging Sid tightly. I want to jump down off the stage right there and hold him in my arms forever, I love him so much...

I see Sid shake his head and roll his eyes before glaring directly at me. I smile, how did I know he'd still be angry.

I take a final bow and almost run off the stage to get to Joey. I put my guitar in the case in a rush and walk down to my spot in the front row next to Jim, only four seats down from Joey. The crowd is talking loudly as we transition into the next act. Jim notices me looking at Joe and tells Mick to switch spots with me. I smirk when I realize what Jim's doing, he likes Mick and is using me to get closer to him. Regardless of Jim's real reason, Mick nods and switches. The poor kid behind me gives a groan of dissatisfaction as Mick sits and smiles. He loves it when his height gets in the way. I sit next to Joey and hold his hand. A small smile dances on his face.

"I love you so much baby..." I say quietly.

"I love you too Corey..." His smile grows a little as he leans from Sid to me and squeezes my hand. I wipe the leftover tears off his face gently and hold him close. We sit there in comfortable silence before the next act walks onstage and begins.


	18. Chapter 18

**Taylor.**

Finally, we're the last act. I don't know how everyone will feel about our kind of music but I hope the reaction will be good. We worked so hard on our masks and we even got red jumpsuits. We chose to perform Duality, which was one of the only "school appropriate" songs we had. I roll my eyes and scoff, we're in high school, they can't accept a few curse words? I walk on stage with the rest of the band in number order. I hear a few whispers from the crowd.

"So this is the band..."

"Is that Joey? The short one right?"

"Why are they wearing masks...?"

"No way! It's Sid!" Sid does a small salute in response to the person that said that. I have to laugh at his antics.

"Is that Corey? In that ugly mask?"

I roll my eyes again, yep I'm in this 'ugly mask'.

I see Joey sit at his new shiny black drum kit, I got him the new one in hopes he'd forgive me. He didn't, he said thank you and only used it sometimes. He tells me that he's not a 'material person', and I can definitely see what he means after I bought him the kit. It was almost like he didn't want to play it because of the reason he got it. Which was also understandable.

He plays a few beats and I see the crowd sit up a little straighter in anticipation. I take the mic off the stand and start the song.

"I push my fingers into my eyes! It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache!"

Just after those lines everyone starts playing and it's fucking wild. Everything has finally come together and it's just like I imagined it. I pour my soul into this performance. At the end I smile and look around the crowd. They're clapping wildly and cheering us on.

"ONE MORE! ONE MORE!" They chant loudly. I look at Joey. He nods excitedly, I was hoping that we could perform another. I never really came up for an intro to this song but this just flipped into my head at that exact moment.

"Spit it out... Spit it out... SPIT IT OUT!" I scream and we all immediately start the song. Everyone goes wild, the crowd and the band. The teachers are watching anxiously from the sides as we continue. As soon as we get to the end of the song they rush on stage to take us off. Joey flips them off and grabs my hand and takes a bow. The rest of the guys follow suit. As soon as we take our bows the teachers grab our arms once again and walk us off the stage, the crowd goes wild with anger. I shake my head and bring one finger to my lips as I get dragged off. The students take notice and quickly quiet down.


	19. Chapter 19

**Jordison.**

After the talent show and a serious scolding to the band by the school counselor, school was let out immediately for spring break leaving me with a lot of free time. I need to figure out how I want to spend it. I get snapped out of my thoughts when Corey grabs my waist and spins me to face him.

"Jesus Corey! You scared me!" I laugh and hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oops?" He smiles and kisses me.

I lean in closer and he wraps his arms around my waist. "I love you so fucking much Joey..." He runs one of his hands through my hair, looking me up and down like I'm a snack to devour. I shiver as that same hand moves down from my waist and rests on my ass. A smirk slowly spreads across his face. I try to hide my smile.

"Corey. Fucking. Taylor." I hear someone grumble from behind me. My smile falls and I immediately freeze.

"Fuck off shithead." Corey retaliates to the person over my shoulder.

"I'm still really fucking pissed at you." the person snaps back.

Corey pulls me behind him and I see anger flash across his face.

"Corey..." I say softly as I put a hand on his shoulder. He takes a step towards Sid, shaking my hand off.

"Let me be with my boyfriend in peace Sidney." He says in a warning tone.

"Hey guys... Lets take it easy..." I try to get their attention.

"You're just hurting him more by staying with him." Sid gets up in Corey's face. Corey pushes him back, and Sid punches Corey in the face in response.

"Guys please!" I say desperately trying to get them to stop.

"Just because you put on a pretty little show for Joey doesn't mean everything's all better!" Sid shouts at him.

I can see Corey trying to hold himself back, learning from last time that I don't like violence. Sid clearly doesn't remember as he punches him again but this time right in the nose. Corey holds his face in his hands. I see the same look as the day when the boy was beating me, flood into Corey's pretty blue eyes as the blood from his nose drips onto the concrete.

I can't watch this-

I race to Corey's car and start it up, speeding it out of the lot and down the street.

Don't cry don't cry don't cry-

I feel like I'm going to be sick as I speed down the almost empty road. I don't want to know who wins that fight.

I drive considerably over the speed limit down the highway, not knowing where I'm going. My mind is clouded and my eyes are teary. Flashing red and blue lights are the only thing that snap me out of my haze. I sigh when I realize that It's the fucking police. I pull over and put my hands on the wheel, waiting for the officer to come over.

I end up with a hefty speeding ticket. Not to much surprise. I drive back to Corey's, defeated. I see him on the front steps of the porch with a big fat black eye, smoking solemnly. I shut the car off and slowly get out. I see relief wash over him as he throws the cigarette on the ground, stomping it out with his foot. He rushes over to me, engulfing me in a giant hug.

"Joey..." I hear his voice crack.

Is he crying...?

I look up at him. His eye is swollen and it looks like it hurts bad. His lip has a big crack in it where it was split, it's still bleeding pretty bad. And there's dried blood that trails down his face from his nose and lip to his jaw.

"I'm so sorry-" Tears run down his face.

"Corey it's ok!" I say with sincerity as I walk him back to the steps and sit down.

"No it's not! All I do is mess things up!" He cries.

I pull him close and rub his back. I never thought the roles would be reversed between us... He hides his face in the crook of my neck and cries. I hold one of his hands and run my other though his soft blonde hair.

He slowly calms down, his shoulders stop shaking and his tears stop. He hugs me tighter and whispers.

"I'm such a fuck up..."

"No Corey... You're perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! I was totally shocked when I saw the amount of views I got in such a short time. Thank you all so much!
> 
> If you like this story, go check out some of my other works! A new slipknot story will be coming out soon ;)
> 
> -77


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